


The Childhood Job

by BBClock



Series: Legal Aid [3]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Children, Con Artists, Love, Marriage, Multi, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2018-12-10 01:03:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11680761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BBClock/pseuds/BBClock
Summary: Eliot and Tori are now married, and expecting a child. This is going to make life interesting and mess with the crew dynamics just a bit.





	1. Project Wedding

“For the first time ever I am honored to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Eliot Spencer.” Everyone applauded as we entered the ballroom. The train on my dress had been pinned up so it wouldn’t be in the way when I was walking around. We wanted the reception inside due to the fact that it was still pretty cold out at night. 

Eliot and I walked up to the front table to sit with our wedding party. The table was set with our china of choice, a pure cream colored set with roses painted on for accents. I was still not feeling too well because of morning sickness, which is a very bad name for something that happens morning, noon, and night. Eliot was drinking for two and enjoying it greatly. “You need to stop rubbing in the fact that you can enjoy a nice cold beer right now.” I teased my husband. 

I loved being able to call him that. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be rubbing it in. But I am really happy right now.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. Sophie and Nate were sitting next to Eliot and Parker was sitting between me and Alec. Nikki wanted to sit down with her family. 

The meal was served to us and the guests all raved about the food. I was just enjoying the company of those I loved around us. The crew was enjoying the liquor and I was nibbling at the food since I did need some protein. 

“Ladies and Gentleman please turn your attention to the dance floor as our bride and groom have their first dance as husband and wife,” the DJ announced in to the mic as Eliot and I stood up. We walked over to the dance floor and Eliot swung me into his arms. The first chords of the song “Can I Have This Dance?” started playing from the speakers. Hardison had helped us record our own version so we could have it be even more special. (I am aware that it is from HSM but I loved the meaning and words) 

We waltzed around the dance floor and I couldn’t take my eyes off his. “You look amazing in a tux Cowboy.” 

“I am nothing compared to the magnificent creature I am holding in my arms Bug.” I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “You look heavenly in that dress. If you weren’t already pregnant that would surely change tonight.” 

“You are a horny all the time type of man. I am glad you are since I love to have sex all the time, but I am a bit nauseous right now thanks to you.” I looked down at my belly and gave him a pointed look. 

“Not exactly sorry about that Darlin. But I wish you weren’t so uncomfortable.” I placed my head on his shoulder and sighed. 

“I can’t believe that I found you. Growing up I never thought I would be able to open up to anyone besides Nikki, much less fall in love.”

“Well I am glad I can prove that wrong because I don’t think it is possible to love you more and then you do something that proves that I can. You are my soul mate Victoria.” I smiled and leaned back just far enough to catch his lips with mine. 

The kiss caused the surrounding people to cheer and me to chuckle. As the song drew to a close and the next one started I was on cloud nine. We enjoyed another spin around the dance floor. The song Mine by Taylor Swift was playing and the rhythm was just country enough for Eliot to dance without cajoling from me. I was enjoying just being in his arms. 

After that song we took a short break while Peter ran to the dance floor because he had just learned how to do the dance to the next song. The Macarena had been on repeat in the car and around Peter the past few days. He was a five-year-old who was very excited that he could dance with the adults. 

He was so cute in his little white tux and black shirt. His little bow tie was a very deep purple, a mix of mine and Eliot’s color choices. He was loving being dressed up like his daddy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he took it off to change soon enough. He ran up to Parker and Hardison and they did the dance with him. I was glad to see that they were back to making heart eyes at one another. 

The first few chords of the song Smooth Criminal by MJ was something that made me chuckle. Eliot gave me a look with an eyebrow raised. I shoved him from my chair and he laughed at me. He almost lost his balance. Nikki came over to my chair and grabbed my hand as Worth It by Fifth Harmony started playing. I shook my head at her, but it had been her favorite song since it had come out. She and I grooved out with each other and more people had joined the crowd on the dance floor. 

A couple faster paced songs played for a little bit and I was enjoying the time with my family and friends. Songs like Mr. Saxobeat, and Promiscuous were a few that I enjoyed. A few of them may be older songs but since both Eliot and I had grown up on that music we decided it was a good fit. 

The song Lost Boy, by Ruth B, started playing with its powerful piano chords. I stood from my chair and walked over to my nephew and squatted to his height. “Master Peter, may I have this dance?” He blushed a little and took my hand when I held it out. I picked him up and swung him around to hear his glorious giggle. 

I sung the song softly to him as we moved around in a slow dance fashion. He would smile even brighter when he heard his name. “My name is Peter!” I laughed. 

“Yes, and not only are you my partner in crime, but you can be my Peter Pan to if you want?” He nodded so hard I was imagining his head popping off. I couldn’t help my laughter as the song came to an end. Eliot tapped on Peter’s shoulder and we both turned to look at him. 

“Excuse me sir, may I cut in? I would like to dance with my wife.” I put Peter down as he nodded. 

“Wait, Leliot, you are my uncle now right?”

“That I am munchkin. You are my nephew just like you are Tori’s nephew.” That made Peter beam. He ran back to his mom and dad and it looked like he was telling all about what happened in the last few minutes. “That little boy is damn cute.” Another slow song, Somewhere Only We Know, started and Eliot took me into his arms. “Seeing you with him in your arms has me day dreaming of the future. I wonder if we are having a boy or girl?” 

“Or one of each? Twins run in my family. Would that be okay with you?” His smile only grew. 

“I couldn’t be happier with that news.” He pulled me closer for the rest of the song and I received a nod from Parker that she was ready for our little surprise when I was. I had been working with Parker on a dance and we had quickly taught it to Nikki. Sophie was not a huge choreographed dancer. 

When the song drew to a close Eliot was all set to just continue dancing but I took a step back. I held up a finger to tell him to just wait a moment. I walked to Parker and she handed me my spandex shorts and helped me take off the train of my dress and pin up the skirt portion so it was above my knees. I was barefoot since I had kicked off my heels and Parker was wearing her patented converse. 

I walked over to the DJ stand and grabbed a stick mic. After checking that it was working I took a deep breath. “Hello everyone, and thank you for coming to celebrate with me and my amazing husband Eliot. I actually have a surprise for him since he knows that I am never normal. So Cowboy if you could take a seat in the chair that Nikki is positioning and everyone else if you could vacate the dance floor?” I handed back the mic and Nikki and I moved into the formation with Parker. 

The song Honey I’m Home by Shania Twain began playing and we did our little dance to it. Eliot was smiling for the whole thing and even laughed a few times. I ended the song with sitting on his lap and my arms around his neck and he kissed me. This obviously lead to cheers from the audience. After the applause died down Parker and Nikki helped me with my skirt again to put it back to the original floor length. 

Another country song began playing because Eliot got some say in the music. I laughed as he swept me into his arms and did a dance that felt quite a bit like square dancing. Being a southern belle myself I knew the song, Any Man of Mine by the same artist, and I sang along, much to the humor of my husband. 

Cha Cha Slide began playing and Peter was again excited because he was able to do this dance. He stood between his parents and me. The whole crew joined us on the floor and we kept laughing at each other and our antics. 

The beginning of Stuck Like Glue by Sugarland made me laugh because it was the song Eliot had chosen for the garter toss. “All the single men on to the dance floor because it is time for the garter toss!” the DJ announced. A chair was brought out for me to sit on and I was hoping Nikki or Chris was covering Peter’s eyes. Eliot was not known for behaving. 

He crawled under my skirt and I could feel his fingers against my thigh. A shiver ran down my spine when I felt his tongue and teeth against the garter. He moved the garter down my leg and kissed my ankle quickly before crawling back out and standing up. All the guys cheered at the sight of my garter in my husband’s mouth. Eliot made a show of turning around as if he was going to just toss it over his shoulder, but quickly turned back and fired it directly at Alec. 

Hardison blushed and tried to not make eye contact with anyone else in the room. I saw that Parker was smiling though. I had a feeling that no matter who actually caught my bouquet, a certain blonde would end up with it at the end of the night. 

The song Man I Feel Like a Woman began and I stood up with my bouquet and waited for the women to gather around. I turned around just like Eliot, but I stayed that way. I gave a few trials and then really threw it. Amy from the Brew Pub actually caught it, and I saw Parker eyeing the flowers. She would end up with it no doubt. 

The night was full of a few faster songs and then it was time for Eliot and me to take our leave. Songs like Drops of Jupiter made me smile since I was able to spend it in my love’s arms. The song Party For Two came on and I chuckled. We said our good byes and made our exit. 

Nikki had giggled and told me that the song choice for us leaving was clever. I held Eliot’s hand as we climbed into his beautiful orange muscle car and drove away. We were spending the night in a hotel and then leaving for our actual honeymoon in the morning.

We arrived quickly since I was only really paying attention to Eliot’s hand holding mine, and he walked up to the front desk with me. All this while he never let go of my hand. We checked in to the honeymoon suite and made our way to the elevators with a parting congratulations from the man behind the desk.

Eliot was a total gentleman until we entered the room. He had me sit on the bed and took off his tux jacket. He grabbed a box and removed his Seston from inside. I was a little curious what was going on. Eliot undid his bowtie and hit a button on a remote. The song Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy played through hidden speakers. 

Just as Eliot turns to me, I grin at him. “Oh I plan to.” I spoke seductively and he pounced. 


	2. Trials of Children

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last thing before leaving for the honeymoon

The next morning, we woke up tangled in each other’s arms. My eyes fluttered open and his were still closed and his deep even breathing told me that he was still sleeping. I was starting to feel nauseous and I really wanted it to just go away. Hopefully as I reached my second trimester I would stop feeling so sick to my stomach. 

I tried to ignore it and just enjoy my husband’s arms around me. I closed my eyes and snuggled in closer to Eliot. My ear ended up on his chest and I could hear his heartbeat. Soon enough it picked up in pace. His eyes must have opened because he started stroking my hair and moving my chin up to meet his gaze. 

His smile was soft and the happiness in his eyes made them shine. “What’s that look for?” I asked him. 

“I can’t believe that you are officially mine, and we have a little one on the way. Just a few years ago I was kicking the ass of a man who stole a baseball card. Now I am a married man, soon to be a father, and my life couldn’t be much better had I tried.” 

I smiled and moved closer to him. I was blissfully happy right up until I had to run off the bed to empty my stomach into the toilet. Eliot came up behind me and grabbed my hair out of the way. “I hate you right now.” I only got out the one sentence before the next wave hit me. 

Eliot held my left hand and ran his thumb along my wedding band. “This says differently.” I glared at him over my shoulder. I stood and washed out my mouth with mouthwash. I grabbed a robe and wrapped it around my body. “You really look incredible in the morning.” 

“And you are a pain in my ass. We need to have a talk now that we have reached what most say should be the happiest time of our lives. I can’t stop painting, and I know you can’t just stop protecting our crew. We need to seriously come up with a plan for this one.” I pointed to my stomach. 

Eliot grabbed the other robe and we sat facing each other on the bed. “We can look at this like we are law enforcement. A nanny for the little one while we are at work.”

“And what about those jobs that are not from around here? We travel often. I guess we could look at them as business trips, but you know that we are the hitters. I do not want our child to grow up without parents.” He took my hand. 

“We will find a way for this to work out. You and this little one are my family now. The crew is important but we all know that our significant other comes first. They know that to me, you are more important, our child is more important.” 

I reached out and took his other hand. “You have no idea how much that means to me. You are aware of how I grew up. I can’t let our child have even a hint of that. We are going to give this child everything they need to succeed in life, and not have to turn to anything like we have. I am not ashamed of what we made of ourselves. But I certainly want our child to not have to run from the authorities and anyone who might feel that they have been wronged.” 

“I understand what you mean. We are going to take the mistakes that our parents made and learn from them. You and I are going to prove that we are better than them.” I smiled and stood. 

“We are going to shower then go to the last thing keeping us in Portland. After we go to our doctor’s appointment for the baby, we will get on a plane and head to London.” 

He smiled at me and we both stood at the sametime. Our shower was fun filled and as soon as we got dressed we packed our things. I texted Sophie, asking her to pick up my wedding dress and take it back to my apartment. 

We checked out of the hotel and made our way to our doctor’s office. I was excited to see the baby. I wasn’t sure how early on you could determine the gender of the baby, but I wanted to know for the mural in the nursery. 

As soon as we checked in, Eliot took my hand. He was smiling at me. “Maybe it is time for us to start thinking of names.” I smirked at him. 

“Well there are two names that are off the table from the start. Heather and James. My parents’ name.” 

“Okay, makes sense. I would also like to veto the name Austin. My child will not have the name of my father. That would just doom them to being a grumpy old hardass.” That made me smile. 

“So what names do you suggest we actually use then?” 

“I have always had a soft spot for old english names, like yours. I like the name Bailey, for a boy or a girl. I also like the name Elizabeth.” I turned in my chair a bit and smiled at him. 

“You are hoping for a little girl. You want a little princess.” 

“I certainly would treasure a little girl. Although, I will be perfectly happy with either a little boy or girl.” 

I put my hands on my tummy and tried to calm my nervous feeling. I honestly was terrified of becoming a mom. Eliot kept telling me that I would be a wonderful mom, but I was worried that I would turn into my own mother when I actually had the child. There is no substitute for practical experience. 

“Victoria Taylor?” A nurse called out and Eliot stood with me. As we met up with him and started the walk back to the exam room, I spoke up. 

“It is actually Victoria Spencer now. We got married yesterday.” It still sounded strange to use my married name instead of the name I grew up hearing. 

“Congratulations. It is nice for a baby to have married parents. You got married because of the baby right?” I was a little taken aback. 

“Not that it is any of your business but we were planning to get married even before we found out about the baby.” Eliot spoke as he held my hand. “You have no right to pass judgment on our lives or others.” I could feel the irritation rolling off my husband. 

I remained quiet as we got settled in the room and Eliot almost stood guard over me. Once the nurse left I turned to him. “I can speak for myself you know. I love that you are protective of me and the baby, but you need to calm down.” 

“He just made me mad.” I sighed. As soon as the doctor came into the room, after I had changed into the gown, Eliot was in a bit of a lighter mood. “I hate to bring this up, but I would appreciate it if we could avoid having that nurse again. He was a bit rude.” 

“Sorry, he has very traditional views. I will make a note for you on the chart. But let’s see how we are coming along here.” I wasn’t thrilled that it was still the wand that went in but I was excited to see my baby. We watched as the screen filled with static like an old tv. 

It took a moment but the small flutter sound of the baby’s heart made my heart soar. It sounded a bit strange compared to the one I had heard from the dvd that Nikki had of her ultrasound with Peter. “Looks like everything is coming along well. Although I have to ask, do either of you have a history of twins?” 

“My family does.” I sat up a bit and looked hard at the doctor. 

“Well, it looks like your egg is splitting. You are going to have twins.” I almost fainted. 

“Can you really tell at only six weeks?” 

“I am able to see the two heart beats here.” Eliot’s eyes connected with mine and his face was a huge grin. If I thought I was scared before, I was petrified after hearing that news. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient with me. I am working on getting my things together for school in September. Thoughts and Kudos are always welcome...


	3. First Trimester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning sickness is a bitch....

I was constantly sick. The team had to do jobs without me because I couldn’t even trust myself to not throw up. The two babies growing inside me, made my life a living hell for at least a couple hours a day. I was mostly around the house trying to not throw up any food I ate. I needed to nourish my body to support the babies. 

Eliot tried to help me by making me ginger tea, but that only helped a bit. I woke up next to him and he smiled at me. “I feel bad that I am part of the reason you feel so sick all the time.” 

“I don’t blame you. I just hate that because I feel this way, I am having a hard time feeding our children. I wish it was a team effort and not just me having to provide. I am already failing as a mother.” 

“You are not failing. You are just having a difficult first trimester. You are almost at your second so hopefully you can get some relief.” I rolled so I was on my back. I moved my tank top up to expose my belly. I placed my hand on the slight bump that had become apparent. I imagined that my bump was slightly larger than most women’s due to me carrying twins. 

“Since the egg is splitting, that means two boys or two girls. You want to place your bets now?” I smiled at him. 

“I think we shouldn’t be placing bets on what gender our children will be. It might show favoritism of gender. What if we say that we bet they will be girls and they are boys? Or the other way round? I will be happy with either gender.” 

“Since when did you become politically correct?” I turned back to him and placed my right hand on his left cheek. “You are trying very hard to not put any expectations on these kids. Anything to not be like your father. I promise you, expectations are not bad. I’ll start, okay? I expect these kids to try their hardest in school. I expect them to share their toys and for them to eat their veggies when they are old enough. I expect them to try and learn from their mistakes and try to be the best they can.” 

I smiled at him again. He had his thoughtful look on his face. I moved my hand to smooth out his wrinkles that formed on his forehead leading to his eyes. “I expect you to give them tough love when needed, and to love them unconditionally. Just like I love you, and how these babies were conceived, expectations for those you love are only to help them reach greater heights. They are made out of love.” 

The worry lines eased a bit on his face. “I just don’t want them to feel like I have everything planned out for them and that if they don’t follow that plan, then they are a disappointment. I do not want to become my father.” 

“So we have established time and again that we do not want to become our parents. We both have daddy issues, and I happen to have some mommy issues to. To be perfectly honest, I am scared. The second I heard we were having twins? I became petrified with the very idea that I wouldn’t be able to be the mother these babies deserve. I want to give the the world. How about we be scared together and try to make it a bit easier on the other? We are partners in this Cowboy.” 

He smiled at me and brought his hands up to cup my jaw and cheek. He pulled me down for a passionate kiss and I couldn’t help but smile again. We broke apart and he moved us so I was back on my back and he was above me. “Back when we first started this whole thing, we had a job that brought part of my past back. I had to face a woman I left behind because of who I became. After the job, I spoke with her and she said that she knew I wasn’t the type to settle down but she was glad that I had found a family in our crew. 

“I laughed at her when she said that because it was all still new to me then. I wasn’t sure what would become of it if anything. I am sure glad that I stuck with them though. They became my family while I needed them, but they led me to you. You became my world. And now, you are carrying my children. I think I just needed the right woman to hold me in one spot long enough to make me think that settling down would be a happier way of life compared to the way I had been living.” 

“Remind me to send her a thank you card. She said what you needed to hear at that moment to bring you to me. I had a dream when I was little, when I was hoping for a better life. It went something like this. I had grown up and freed myself from my parents. I had married a handsome man, gotten a dog, and had two kids. I had a beautiful house that has a giant yard with some flowers. I painted the front door red and the rest is a nice pale tan. 

“I had a job, with incredible benefits. My sister had three kids, and was working her way to CEO of a major company. I would always dream of that future to get me through. So now here I am, with my handsome husband, pregnant with twins, and living in an apartment that most people would kill for. I have my dream.” I brought his lips down to mine and kissed him. 

When he pulled away with a bit of a frown. I gave him a quizzical look and he rolled back to his side of the bed. “Do you want to buy a house? We can if you want. It is not like we can’t afford to. A lot of couples stay in their apartments when they are starting out, but we are not most couples.” I looked down at my hands and played with my fingers. 

“I will put it this way. Just because there is a house in the fantasy that I put together when I was a kid doesn’t mean that we have to have that. I am very happy with what we have. You do not need to provide everything that was in my fantasy. Now that I have even a piece of that life, I couldn’t be any more content.”

“I am not asking because of that. I have been thinking that every kid deserves a yard.” I smiled at him. “I need to get a shower then meet the crew at the pub. Nate has a new client for us. Do you think you are up to joining us?” 

I gave a bit of a sour face, and stood up. 

“I am going to get my morning workout in. Then I will shower. I think that we need to sit down with one of our laptops and start looking at our options, real estate wise. We won’t know what we have to choose from, if we don’t start looking. I will try and join you if my nausea subsides any.” 

He stood up and wrapped his arms around me from behind. The warmth of his arms helped me a bit. “I’ll be thinking of you.” He went toward the shower and I went for our gym. I started to stretch and tried to work my way through the waves of nausea. I did a light workout and took a shower to clean off the minimal sweat I did work up. 

I changed into my normal jeans, tank top, and flannel shirt around my waist. My body had been battling with my inner temperature for a few weeks. I would be very warm at points and then cooler at others. Putting socks on was a habit because it made it really easy to get shoes on and run. 

A knock at the door startled me. I went to answer and found a brown haired man in a suit. “Can I help you?” I asked. 

“I am James Sterling. You are Victoria Taylor, now Victoria Spencer.” 

“And you are a jackass with a british accent. Goodbye.” I swung the door hard and he stuck his foot in the way. Because I swung hard, he cried out in pain. I backed up and tried to hold my hands next to my sides even though every instinct was telling me to go for my tummy. 

“Why must you be so rude?” I moved into my living room and glared at him. 

“You are the one who has entered my home without being invited in. I could call the police on you.” 

“But I bet there are things in this house you don’t want police to see. I need to speak with your team.” 

“Then why don’t you call Nate?” 

“Because he has stopped taking my calls. I would go to the pub, but your husband tends to become violent.”

“So you come to his home, and barge in on his wife?” I was curious as to what went through his mind to figure that his course of action was the smart thing to do. “I am not to optimistic about your IQ.” 

“Your husband left an hour ago. I am assuming that you are going to call him now?” I ground my teeth a bit and took my phone out of my pocket. I dialed and put it on speaker. 

“Hello Bug.” I spoke quickly before he could ask me about the babies. 

“Eliot, I need you to come home. Bring the crew. We have a British Jackass in our living room. And full disclosure, you are on speaker.” 

“Sterling, if you do anything to her, I will kill you.” 

“Spencer, you only need to return home, and she will not be in any worse condition than you left her in.” I glared at him as he spoke. Eliot hung up quickly and I knew he was on his way with the rest of our family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fall semester starts soon! I won't be able to post on any form of a schedule, like always, so I am just warning you that school comes first.


	4. Old Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sterling has shown up with a job and Tori has a decision to make...

I sat on the couch and waited for my husband and our crew to get there. Sterling remained standing and looked a bit agitated. I was feeling a bit better than the rest of my trimester. 

I didn’t have to wait long. They showed up quickly. Eliot ran over to me the second he was through the door and left everyone else to close the door, which had been almost slammed in their faces due to my husband’s reflexes. “Eliot, I am fine. He is just an annoyance.” 

“I just don’t like that you were here alone with him.” I reached out and took his hand. 

“I appreciate that you want to protect me from everything, but you know I can handle myself.” I turned to Sterling. “So which one do you have?” 

“You will have to be more specific.” 

“Which history of mine? Personal or professional?” 

“Professional. I am aware you are The Playmaker.” I eased a bit. Nikki wasn’t in any more danger than usual. “Now on to the reason that I am here. A music executive that has started to help bankroll the Italian mob branch here in Portland. Due to this money, which is clean, we can’t move forward with our investigation into the main players. I need you to take down the money maker.” 

“You are going to need to give at least his name Sterling. Then we might consider it.” Nate stood behind me as he spoke. Sterling rolled his eyes. He proceeded to pull out a flash drive and hand it to Hardison. I pointed out my laptop to Hardison, he had forgot to grab his because of the rush to get to me. 

Hardison typed a bit, and pulled up some files that showed the information that Interpol had. I had no doubt that Hardison could have gotten the information his way, but it was nice to have them handed to us.

“Andrew Jones, of Jones Music Records, is a shitty excuse for a human. He is bank rolling the Italian mob and screwing over everyone on his payroll. He offers no insurance for his workers, and also has crappy safety measures for his building. There is another business under his name that looks like a warehouse. He not only records the music, but he has taken up a side business in the making of the actual CD. Most music is done online these days, but there is still a large market for various types of music CDs.

“The building has had some renovations done but they are mostly cosmetic. These blueprints remind me of a sweatshop. He was given some money through insurance that he has on in work accidents, and he mostly just banked it. There is a lot of asbestos. Several workers have been to the hospital.” 

Hardison looked at all of us. “I say we should take him down.” Nate looked at Sterling and then over us. 

“Alright, we will help you.” The two of them walked away and started talking business. I stood and walked down the hall to the bedroom I shared with my husband. Eliot and Parker followed me. I sat on my bed and looked down at my hands. 

“I don’t want Sterling to know about the babies. He might use them against us. So that means I have to be on the job. I need to get my morning sickness under control.” Parker gave me a very confused look. 

“Babies, as in plural?” Eliot and I had been keeping the whole twin thing to ourselves. 

“Two to be exact?” I smiled at her. She smiled back. “I am having twins.” 

“That means twice the squishy! Babies are so cute.” I never took Parker for a baby person. 

“You like babies?” Eliot chuckled as he spoke. 

“I like them when they are doing anything but crying and pooping. They also don’t have any reservations about people. They don’t just suddenly dislike you because they have no idea what you have done. People automatically judge you when they find out you are a criminal. Babies can’t, because they don’t know what that means.” 

What she said made perfect sense. “I want you to teach my kids about how to escape sticky situations. Being who we are, and as their parents, they might need to have a guardian angel like you Parker.” I looked over at Eliot and he smiled at me. “We don’t want our kids to have the life we did. Not that there is anything wrong with our lives, but I don’t want them to be running from the police.” 

“How are you feeling Bug?” Eliot sat next to me on the bed. I looked down at my tummy and held my hands over my bump. 

“I am still nauseous. But I am also a professional. I can pretend that I am fine. I am nearing my second trimester, so I hope I feel better soon.” 

“I hate seeing you suffer.” 

“Then you carry our children for the next six months.” I glared at him until he rolled his eyes. “And because you can’t do that, you are going to let me be a professional and do my job. I love you Cowboy, but I am a capable woman.” I stood up and walked over to the door. I leaned against it and grimaced. “Time for me to prove something to myself.” 

I left the bedroom and walked back to the living room. “Sterling, you can leave now.” Nate addressed the British Jackass. “We have work to do. I will let you know if we need anymore information, but for now you need to be out of our way.” 

I sat beside Hardison and looked over what he had pulled up on his screen. I looked over the mark like I had for most of my career. He was a music man, another form of art. 

Sterling left in a huff, because he knew that he would only get in the way while we worked. I looked up at Nate and he shared a concerned look with Sophie. “How do you want to play this?” 

“I am a professional. Sterling can’t know about them. For their safety, no one can know that I am pregnant.” Parker came out of my room with Eliot and she smiled at me. “I guess since Parker now knows, the entire crew will find out quick enough. I am carrying twins. I found out at six weeks, but we wanted to keep some of the joy to ourselves for a bit.” 

Sophie grinned and Hardison looked at me with wonder in his eyes. He hugged me and I hugged back. I had come to love these people as family. When Hardison let go of me he automatically reached out to touch my tummy. I death gripped his hand, around the wrist and twisted. 

“I am not a petting zoo. Try it again and you will pull back a stump.” I let go of his wrist and stood. I went to Eliot and took his hands. I brought them around me, so he was hugging me from behind. He placed a hand over the bump and Hardison started to protest. “He is the other half of their DNA. He is also my husband. I like it when he touches me.” 

Parker did a fake gag. I couldn’t help but giggle. Eliot kissed my cheek and chuckled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had enough time for a short update. Hopefully this makes up for me not updating regularly. Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think.


	5. The Second Trimester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally there is a bit of light at the end of the morning sickness tunnel...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting on me. I have been very busy with school and a recent loss in my family. So we shall have a short episode here...

I tried to just ignore the ill feeling but it made focusing on the job really hard. My thoughts just kept creeping back to the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Eliot tried to help me but he was limited by the con we ran. 

I was professional through the con but Sterling was watching me like a hawk. As soon as the con was over I walked to my car and told everyone I would meet up with them later. I was exhausted. Eliot found me at home in bed. 

“Hey, feeling any better?” He woke me up from a short nap. 

“I am still queasy. Please tell me that Sterling left town.” 

“He was still at the brew pub when I left. I did get a chance to tell him off though.” He smiled at me. 

“Oh really? I bet that felt good. What did you say?” 

“He asked if you really belonged in the crew. He said that your criminal history made you untrustworthy.” He looked down at my hands, he took them in his. “I conveyed the point that no matter our pasts, what matters is how we move forward together.”

“I bet you conveyed the point loudly.” He chuckled. I smiled at him and turned onto my side so I was closer to him. “Could you make me some tea?” 

“Ginger tea right?” It was the only thing that had made a dent in the nausea. I nodded. He left the room and I tried to get my mind off the icky feeling. I took out my phone and texted my sister. She sent me a picture of Peter playing with the paints I had bought him. That at least made me smile. 

  
  
  
  


 

 

I finally started to feel better in the second trimester. The morning sickness was finally starting to ebb away. And with my growing tummy I soon needed new clothes. Sophie dragged me to the stores. 

“You need to let the bump grow. You are fighting it like you don’t want to be pregnant.” She parked the car and turned to me in her seat. 

“I want these babies. What I don’t want is the feeling of being petrified to be a failure of a mother.” I finally admitted my fears to someone other than my husband. 

“You will be one of the best mothers in the world. I have never met someone who was more family oriented.” 

“Yeah, but there is a big difference between being a sister, or even an aunt, and being a mother.” 

“You need to understand that you are not your parents. You saved your sister and put your own hide on the line to protect her. You have supported her and her family for a while now. She is an incredible mother and her son is such a little cutie. You know that just because you had a bad childhood, does not mean that every thing you do for your child will be the makings of a bad childhood for them.” 

I looked at my hands and shook my head. “I asked my sister if she had these fears. She said that she did and it is beyond normal to be scared when it comes to being a first time mother.” 

“See, you are normal.” I smiled at her words. 

We got out of the car and started our shopping day. We found one store that had a lot of good choices and I even sent a picture of myself in one of the pregnancy lingerie to Eliot. I bought another one to surprise him. “You are buying a sexy nightie?” Sophie asked. 

“I am only encouraging my husband’s healthy sexual drive.” Sophie smiled at me but had a bit of a sour look on her face. 

“I so did not need to hear that about Eliot.” She turned to a rack of dresses. “I hope you can find a dress for my wedding. Although it might help that you are required to wear a bridesmaid dress.” 

I smiled at her. “Glad I made the cut.” 

“I really don’t have many friends. You are family.” 

“Just don’t put me in a pastel. I really don’t look good in pale colors.” 

“We were thinking of purple and mint green. I will put you in the purple then.” I smiled. 

“Time to head home before I fall asleep on my feet.” Growing another human really takes it out of you. She drove me home and I found Eliot making dinner. “What’s cookin good lookin?” 

He smiled and kissed my cheek. “I am making some chicken and steamed vegetables. I also got the picture you sent. Who knew that bump could be so sexy?” 

“Well I aim to please.” He smiled again at me. “Well I got plenty of maternity clothes and I decided to get a sexy piece to keep you interested.” 

“There is very little that will sway my interest in you.” 


	6. Scared Out of My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving into the new house that they found... perfect for a growing family...

I spent the final trimester double checking everything. I was really showing and this made movement around the house a bit difficult. Eliot and I had toured a few houses but I had really fallen in love with the last one we saw. It was a five bedroom, three and a half bath, with a large back yard. 

We offered more than the asking price because Eliot also loved the house. Due to our offer, the seller accepted quickly and we were moving in within a few weeks. 

Holding my belly, I was directing the boys and the movers to the right place to put the boxes. Sophie and Parker were helping me in the kitchen with putting away the perishable food and starting to unbox the pots and pans. “I told you to leave the kitchen to me.” Eliot chuckled as he walked in and grabbed a cold bottle of water from the fridge. 

“I also told you that I hate letting everyone else do the work.” He placed the bottle on the counter and put his hand over my belly.  

“Well you are doing enough work already with these two. I know for a fact that no one here is upset with you for not carrying boxes in. Why don’t you go upstairs and look over the nursery and start planning your mural. You have a month to paint it.” 

“I may have less than that. Twins often come before their due date and I am at 32 weeks now. So we could have them at any moment.” 

“Well, then you should get started right?” I rolled my eyes at his words and turned to go up the stairs. I grabbed a pencil to start sketching out the mural on the wall for my twins. Parker joined me just as I was finishing up the outline. 

“That is gonna be so cool. Do you know what gender you are having?” She knew that they were identical twins. 

We want to be surprised, so I am keeping it gender neutral in here.” I had drawn out a field that had several trees in it, and in the sky, was a quote that was framed by clouds. 

“No matter how far you are, our hearts are together.” Parker read it off the wall. “Where did you get that quote?” 

“My sister and I used to say it to each other. I don’t know if we made it up, or if we saw it somewhere. But it has always brought us peace when we were separated and if we were going through things with our parents.” 

I smiled at the quote. I smiled at Parker and walked out of the room. I stood at the top of the stairs and took a deep breath. “Cowboy! If you make me come down these stairs to get you, I will kill you.” Eliot appeared at the bottom of the stairs and started to jog up when Hardison started laughing. 

“Man, you let her yell at you like that? I know you are married but that is just plain whipped.” I glared down at the hacker. Eliot turned and looked at him from his position half way up the stairs case. 

“I dare you to make her mad when she is pregnant. I am only being so whipped because of my own survival.” That made me smile. Eliot knew what to say to make his point and make me still feel like a badass while looking like a blimp. 

I lead him to the nursery and he looked over the sketch. He knew what I had planned for the image because he also got a vote. A smile also appeared on his face when he saw the quote. He had heard me say it to Nikki. “This looks like it will be incredible. Do you have the paints yet?” I smiled at his know how. 

“I love that you know that I couldn’t paint the entire wall with my normal canvas paint. It wouldn’t stay and would look funny. So I will be picking up my colors tomorrow and some brushes to start working on the wall. My brushes that I use normally would be destroyed if I used them with wall paint.” 

“The rest of the kitchen is mostly away, and the furniture is set in the living room. I am about to go put our bed together and then we can order some dinner? Sound good?” 

“You know me. I could eat a horse.” He had taken to cooking lots of food for me in my third trimester. I was so happy that my morning sickness had subsided. 

The rest of the day went by quickly. I was helping Eliot make the bed when I felt the babies start to kick. I gasped and Eliot looked up, startled. “You okay?” I walked to his side of the bed and grabbed his hand. I held it against the kicking, and he bent down. “Hello little one. I can’t wait to meet you.” I smiled down at him as he kissed my belly. 

“I can’t wait either. The only problem I am running into is the sheer terror that comes with being a first time parent.” He grabbed my hand and stood. 

“I am scared to. But that fear I think is what will make us great. Fear keeps you on your toes. Together we can do this.” 

We finished making the bed and I laid awake for a little bit beyond Eliot falling asleep. His even breathing was calming but I put my hand down on my tummy and spoke softly. 

“You two better give me some slack. I had a majorly crappy childhood, and I have no idea what to do as your mother. We can figure this out together hopefully. But go easy on us.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't anticipating getting the next section up this quickly but Thanksgiving break is being nice to me. It may be short, but it is something. Happy Thanksgiving!


	7. Maternity Ward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins finally make an appearance

Eliot broke more than a few laws on the way to the hospital. I doubt they would be the worst offence on his record. The profits of our escapades came in handy because I had a private room and I was waiting for the doctor to give me an epidural, since I had nothing to prove, and Eliot was wearing a path in the floor. 

“You are going to leave marks on the tile.” I pointed at his feet as I spoke. 

“How are you calm? Our children are about to come into the world and I am terrified.” He whirled on me. Taking the end of the bed in his hands, I could see the strength he was using.

“Welcome to my world. I have been scared to be a mom for a while now. I was scared even before I met you. And I am not even anywhere close to calm. But wearing a path in the floor or breaking the bed are not going to help the situation.” He looked down at his hands. With my words he let go of the bed and started raking his fingers through his hair. 

“I just feel useless.” 

“You want something productive to do? Call our family. Tell them that I have gone into labor.” He nodded and started dialing on his phone. 

The rest of the night passed in a flurry of movement and people in and out of the room. But soon enough I had the epidural and I really didn’t care. I had barely any notice before I was actively pushing little humans out of me. Eliot took my hand and I was sweating buckets. 

The first cry I heard shot straight to my heart. The fact that it was my child crying for the first time ever made me tear up. I only had a little break before I was pushing again and I heard the second cry harmonize with the first. 

Eliot had moved to the babies and he was hovering over the doctors. I was just panting to catch my breath, waiting to hear their genders. The doctor moved the babies over to me and I held them close. They had just been cleaned, but the hats were striped in blue and pink, so they were no help. 

“You have two little girls.” The doctor smiled at us and I looked down at my girls. Eliot had cut their cords so he knew before me and when I looked up at him he was grinning from ear to ear. I smiled with him and we both just knew. “So do you have names for these cuties?” 

I gave them one more look, and said, “Lux and Laken Spencer.” Lux means light in latin, and her twin, Laken, means lake in latin. I had been searching for names for them and they stuck. Eliot loved them as well. He was glad we could give them strong names and a little light for them both. They would go through most things together, so Lux and Laken would always be there for one another. 

  
  


I had fallen asleep right after labor and feeding the girls. So when I woke up, I wasn’t surprised to find the crew hanging around in the room that I would be in for a few days. Giving birth to children really took it out of you. 

Parker was making faces at one of the girls who was laying in her hospital bassinet. Eliot was holding the other and Sophie was cooing at her. Hardison was the first to realize I was awake. “Hey. How are you feeling?” 

“Like I just pushed two watermelons out of me.” He smiled at my words. “Which twin is where?” 

Hardison gave me this look of panic and I just looked over to Eliot and gave him a raised eyebrow. “I have Laken, and Parker is making faces at Lux.” Hardison looked at him. 

“How can you tell the difference?” 

“They have hospital bracelets on their ankles.” When Eliot moved the blanket so Hardison could see the band around her foot. Hardison face palmed and I laughed. Lux started to fuss and cry. This caused Parker to look at me and Eliot in terror. 

“I swear it wasn’t me.” I laughed as Eliot stood up with Laken and put her down in her bassinet next to her sister. He picked up Lux and brought her over to me. I adjusted, with the help of Eliot, to start feeding her. 

“She was getting hungry Parker. She started to cry so she would get our attention.” That information made Parker take a deep breath of relief. 

I fed both girls and fell asleep again. I only woke up when I heard a very familiar little voice. “But I am a big boy mom. I want to hold her.” I smiled at Peter’s words. I opened my eyes and saw Eliot standing next to the couch with one of the girls in his arms and my sister holding the other. My brother-in-law was looking at my sister like he missed her holding Peter like that. Something told me that I would be getting a new niece or nephew soon. 

“Have him sit in the corner of the couch, put a pillow under his arm. Eliot, you stand in front of him a watch. Let him hold them long enough to get a picture that will be the cutest thing ever.” 

Everyone smiled at me. I was going to be okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the end, for now at least. I am so busy with school, so I am going to let this lie for now. Thank you for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts and Kudos are always welcome


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